ForumsQuestionsiCal Import / CSV export


iCal Import / CSV export
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sandro.krumbein

Posted: Feb 21, 2011
Score: 0 Reference
Hello,

I also am considering the switch from Remember The Milk. I have a few problems though

1. When importing the ical file from my RTM account, the tags don't show up properly. They are only stored in the description of the tasks. Same with the locations. Does anyone know how to work around this? I guess the iCal format doesn't support tags? The same with the estimated length of the task. Also only available in the description. So the question is how to import the tasks and loose as little info as possible and also how to have as little as possible manual work to do for the transition?

2. When exporting my tasks to a CSV file I have two problems. The first is that my notes might contain commas, which will lead to incorrect recognition of columns by excel. The other is that the notes might contain line breaks, either incorrectly or correctly. For the first I would suggest to give the user the option to choose their own separation characters. For the latter, I can at the moment only come up with letting the user select which columns he wants to export

Thanks,
Sandro


This message was edited Feb 21, 2011.
Jake

Toodledo Founder
Posted: Feb 21, 2011
Score: 0 Reference
1) Unfortunately, RTM does not have great export options, so we are limited in what we can import. We will try to make it better.

2) The CSV file format can handle text fields with imbedded commas and line breaks, because each text field is encased in "quotes" and the " character itself is escaped per the CSV standard. Sometimes Excel may ignore some of these things if you do not open it in Excel the right way.
sandro.krumbein

Posted: Feb 22, 2011
Score: 0 Reference
Thx for the answer

2) That's a good hint. Did some research and found exactly what you said. It should work. But I have tried every conceivable way on Excel 2003 now and have found now way to do it, though. I'll try again on Excel 2007 at home

1) I guess I will import the tasks from RTM then, export them to CSV (hopefully), do some Excel formula magic to separate the entries in the notes to filter out the estimates and tags and then reimport it to ToodleDo

Best,
Sandro
sandro.krumbein

Posted: Feb 22, 2011
Score: 0 Reference
Found another way, haven't tried Excel 2007, yet. Google Docs seems more capable at handling these things. Even got the Umlaute right.

HowTo: open a spreadsheet there, then File/Import...,
Pick the csv file from harddrive, choose create new spreadsheet. If the right delimiter isn't automatically detected, pick it at the bottom. Click import and then a link appears by which you can open it. This online spreadsheet is then downloadable to the harddrive as an Excel file. Done

Best,
Sandro
sandro.krumbein

Posted: Feb 22, 2011
Score: 0 Reference
Another update:
Have you guys at ToodleDo changed anything? Now that I did it at home Excel 2007 still couldn't handle it right, but the import of the ICS file from RTM to ToodleDo even got the estimates and tags right. That didn't work yesterday

Now it's pretty much all good

Thx,
Sandro
Jake

Toodledo Founder
Posted: Feb 22, 2011
Score: 0 Reference
We did not change anything with our ICS importer. Maybe RTM started exporting correctly? I don't know, but I am glad that you got it to work :)
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